EDH Optimizer
Black Waltz No. 3
Legendary Creature — Wizard · 2BR
Color identity: Black · Red · Rakdos
Black Waltz No. 3 is Rakdos (black and red): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Flying, deathtouch
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, Black Waltz No. 3 deals 2 damage to each opponent.
Reference price of the card: €0.19
Average lands in decks for Black Waltz No. 3: 35
SpellslingerBurnGroup SlugInfectComboStormWizardsAggro
Build your Black Waltz No. 3 deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Black Waltz No. 3 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Black Waltz No. 3 deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play per EDHREC (the 99 most-included cards, with its average land count), simulated with the EDH Optimizer engine: hands, mulligans, lands, curve and commander. It does not model opponents; it measures whether the plan gets going.
Deck health of the average list: C (54/100)
- Consistency30
- Speed55
- Interaction41
- Resilience68
- Closing69
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (21 nonbasic, 5 Swamp, 9 Mountain)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Black Mage's Rod · Cornered by Black Mages · Guttersnipe · Circle of Power · Dark Ritual · Coruscation Mage · Kuja, Genome Sorcerer // Trance Kuja, Fate Defied · Lightning Bolt · Night's Whisper · Faithless Looting · Firebrand Archer · Sign in Blood · Harmonic Prodigy · Storm-Kiln Artist · Talisman of Indulgence · Rakdos Signet · Thrill of Possibility · Rakdos Charm · Kessig Flamebreather · Terminate · Abrade · Queen Brahne · Transpose · Mysidian Elder · Big Score · Boltwave · Chaos Warp · Fiery Inscription · Feed the Swarm · Seething Song · Blasphemous Act · Demand Answers · Artist's Talent · Mana Geyser · Grab the Prize · Vandalblast · Bedevil · Fellwar Stone · Ruby Medallion · Swiftfoot Boots · Mind Stone · Read the Bones · Grapeshot · Phyrexian Arena · Tor Wauki the Younger · Electrostatic Field · Jeska's Will · Longshot, Rebel Bowman · Mizzix's Mastery · Pyretic Ritual · Untimely Malfunction · Laughing Mad · Unexpected Windfall · Light Up the Stage · Lightning Greaves · Withering Torment · Basilisk Collar · Deadly Dispute · Erebor Flamesmith · Solphim, Mayhem Dominus · Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty · Deadly Rollick · Command Tower · Dragonskull Summit · Smoldering Marsh · Lindblum, Industrial Regency // Mage Siege · Blood Crypt · Sulfurous Springs · Tainted Peak · Foreboding Ruins · Bojuka Bog · Haunted Ridge · Luxury Suite · Blazemire Verge · Bloodstained Mire · Graven Cairns · Rakdos Carnarium · Shadowblood Ridge · Exotic Orchard · Temple of Malice · Bloodfell Caves · Evolving Wilds · Reliquary Tower
🃏 Recommended cards for Black Waltz No. 3
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Black Waltz No. 3, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Black Mage's Rod | 72% | +63% |
| Kuja, Genome Sorcerer | 61% | +58% |
| Cornered by Black Mages | 66% | +57% |
| Guttersnipe | 65% | +56% |
| Circle of Power | 64% | +56% |
| Coruscation Mage | 61% | +52% |
| Firebrand Archer | 56% | +49% |
| Harmonic Prodigy | 51% | +43% |
| Kessig Flamebreather | 47% | +42% |
| Lindblum, Industrial Regency | 50% | +41% |
| Transpose | 46% | +40% |
| Queen Brahne | 46% | +40% |
| Lightning Bolt | 58% | +40% |
| Storm-Kiln Artist | 51% | +39% |
| Mysidian Elder | 45% | +39% |
| Night's Whisper | 58% | +38% |
| Fiery Inscription | 42% | +37% |
| Boltwave | 42% | +36% |
| Artist's Talent | 37% | +32% |
| Thrill of Possibility | 50% | +31% |
| Sign in Blood | 52% | +29% |
| Faithless Looting | 56% | +29% |
| Seething Song | 40% | +28% |
| Longshot, Rebel Bowman | 29% | +26% |
💰 The best cards for your Black Waltz No. 3 deck, by budget
Three tiers based on the maximum price PER CARD you are willing to pay. Paste your list and hit Optimize: you pick that cap and the AI only suggests swaps that fit under it.
Tier 1 · Budget up to €2/card
The most value for almost nothing. Coming from a precon? Start here.
- Black Mage's Rod
- Cornered by Black Mages
- Guttersnipe
- Circle of Power
- Coruscation Mage
- Firebrand Archer
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Harmonic Prodigy
- Kessig Flamebreather
- Boltwave
- Artist's Talent
- Seething Song
- Longshot, Rebel Bowman
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Ruby Medallion
- Solphim, Mayhem Dominus
- Vivi's Persistence
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Black Waltz No. 3
- Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + Jeska's Will → Infinite draw triggers for all players, Infinite looting for all players, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Wheel of Fortune → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite looting, Infinite looting for opponents, Near-infinite storm count
- Dualcaster Mage + Twinflame → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite magecraft triggers
- Bloodchief Ascension + Mindcrank → Infinite mill, Near-infinite lifegain, Near-infinite lifegain triggers, Near-infinite lifeloss
- Aetherflux Reservoir + Exquisite Blood → Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain triggers
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Black Waltz No. 3's color identity?
Black Waltz No. 3 is Rakdos (black and red): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones. Color identity comes from every mana symbol on the card, including those in the rules text, not just the casting cost.
What turn does Black Waltz No. 3 come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Black Waltz No. 3 deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.8 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 99 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 26 % of the time and floods 29 %. Deck health: C (54/100).
How many lands should a Black Waltz No. 3 deck run?
Real Black Waltz No. 3 decks run 35 lands on average. That is a starting point, not a rule: a lower curve can shave one or two, big-mana builds want more. The EDH Optimizer simulator tells you, over 10,000 games, how often you get mana screwed or flooded with your exact count.
What are the best cards for Black Waltz No. 3?
The three highest-synergy cards are Black Mage's Rod, Kuja, Genome Sorcerer, Cornered by Black Mages. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Black Waltz No. 3 decks.
What combos does Black Waltz No. 3 have?
Black Waltz No. 3 has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood. Note that two-card combos raise your deck's bracket, so it is worth knowing which ones you are running before you sit down.
How much does a Black Waltz No. 3 deck cost?
You can start cheap: Black Mage's Rod, Cornered by Black Mages, Guttersnipe are under €2 each. The "Level up" section on this page splits the best cards into three price caps PER CARD (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.